M.K. Stalin, DMK Treasurer, casts his vote in Chennai. Stalin, the DMK scion, campaigned hard hoping for an improved show at the hustings after a drubbing at the hands of the AIADMK in the Assembly elections in 2011. Photo: The Hindu
In India, elections are festive. It is a time when young and old, men and women, and able-bodied and differently abled, come out of their homes and queue up outside the polling booths to choose the party that would rule the country for the next five years. On April 24, the sixth day of the nine-day exercise, polls were held in 117 parliamentary constituencies spread across 11 States and one Union Territory. All constituencies in Tamil Nadu (39), the lone one in Puducherry, 19 of 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, 10 of 29 in Madhya Pradesh, 12 of 80 in Uttar Pradesh, and six of 14 in Assam went to polls on Thursday. The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy presents a selection of the enthusiastic participation by voters, including key political leaders and celebrities. Text: <b>Saptarshi Bhattacharya</b>
